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No. 752,394. PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904, L. GAUMONT. MEANS FOR OPERATINGSYNGHRONOUSLY PHONOGRAPHS AND KINEMATOGRAPHS.

PPLIOATION FILED DBO. 17, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

ilnrran S'ra'rns Patented Feb I.

Parent serene LEON GAUMONT, 0F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSlGNOR TO STE L. GAUMONTET (11E, 0F PARlS, FRANCE.

MEANS FDR OPERATING SYNQHRONOUSLY PHONOGRAPHS AND KINEMATOGRAPHS.

SPECIFECAEIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,394, dated February16, 1

Application filed December 17,}901. Serial No. 86,Z77. No model.)

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1. Laos; ta'onox'r, a citizen of the French Republic,residing in Paris, France, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Means for Operating synchronously Phonographs andKinematographs, of which the following is specification.

This invention relates to a simple and electrical means foraccomplishing the purpose set forth in the title and hereinafterexplained.

in principle the velocity of the kinem'atograph. or rather the number ofimages trans-' mitted per second. is not absolute, the human eye beingcapable of supporting variations of velocity without being shockedthereby, while the ear cannot support the least variation in thevelocity of a phonograph, because such variations would cause not only achange in the depth of the sounds, but also a, change in their ratio.

From what has been stated above it will readily be understood that theemployment of motors, electric or other, for driving these appliancesseparately will not give good results if their synchronism is obtainedby means of a speed regulator or governor upon each of them unless thephonographic cylinders employed have been recorded strictly at thisvelocity. Now unless these phonographs could be regulated once for allin such a manner that they should invariably operate exactly at the samevelocity whatever might be the condition of the parts (including thoseof governor) as regards lubrication a cylinder recorded at Paris, forexample, would not be correct for an apparatus sold in the provinces orabroad. Under these conditions it is essential that it should bepossible to regulate the velocity of the phonograph so that it shallarticulate correctlyhor be in tune, so to speakand that thekinematograph should instantly undergo these variationsthat is to say,should be absolutely synchronous with the phonograph, whatever thevelocity of this,

latter may be. 1 have therefore soughtto construct mechanism requiringno regulation, and therefore incapable of getting out of order,'andpermitting this synchronism of the two appliances to be obtained, whileat the same time permittingthe.velocityof the kinematograph to beregulated. In order to effect this, I cause the phonograph or a parthaving a constant ratiowvith the phonograph to govern the velocity ofthe kinematograph by the means to be hereinafter described withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 isadiagrammatic view of the motor for driving the kinematograph, theconnector at the phonograph, the circuits, and the generators. Fig. 2 isa somewhat diagrammatic general view of the entire apparatus. Fig. 3illustrates the adaptation of an other form of motor for driving thekinematograph.

In Fig. 1, A designates a fixed 'Gramme ring forming the field-magnet ofa motor and B the armature thereof in the nature of a Siemens H-coil.This is the motor for driving the kinematograph. I is a generator thepoles of which are connected with the coils of the armature B..

A collector C, the number of the'sections of which is equai to thenumber of sections in the. Gramme ring A, (eight in this instance,) isarranged at any desired distance say ten, twenty, or thirty meters-fromthe ring and each of its sections connected, as shown in Fig. 1, to oneof the corresponding sections of the ring by means of eight wiresinsulated one from the other, but forming together a flexible cable.Providing the successive sections of the ring are connected to thesuccessive sections of the collector the connection may be made ineither direction, theonly result being a change in the direction ofrotation. Two brushes l) and E are mounted upon a support adapted tooscillate around the center of the collector C, which is fixed. if thesetwo brushes are connected, respectively, tothe two poles of anyconvenient source of electricity J and if they are caused to rotatesimultaneously in one direction or the other at any suit ablevelocity, 1. produce in the fixed ring A corresponding polarities, thelaw of displacement of which will be rigorously the same as. that of thebrushes D and E. ()onsequently if 1 send through the Siemens coil B apermanent current this coil will exactly follow the movement of thebrushes D and E. It is obvious that the Siemens coil may be replaced bya permanent magnet or even by an iron mass only; but the dimensionsbeing equal the power of the motor will be thereby diminished. In theseconditions it is only necessary to connect the coil B to thekinematograph by means of gearing having a suitable ratio and to cornnect in the same manner the brush tothe phonograph in order that the twoappliances shall start ,at the same time and run with an absolutelysynchronous velocity or what comes to the same thing with a suitable andperfectly constant velocity ratio. In this case the motor A 13 should bemore powerful than is necessary in order to merely rotate thekinematograph, because itsvelocity depends only upon the phonograph, andit should (if this latter starts rapidly) have a couple sufficient toinstantly overcome the inertia of the kinematograph. There is thereforeno need to regulate the velocity of the motor by the employ? ment of arheostat, brake, or the like. The driving-couple being sufficient with apredetermined voltage, it is only necessary to insert between the sourceof electricity and the motor A B a rheostat absorbing any excess ofvoltage. it, for example, the motor has been constructed for producingthe needful. driving efi ort with twenty 'volts and ten am 'peres auditit is connected to a circuit of one hundred and ten volts, it will onlybe necessary to insert a rheostat absorbingninety volts ten amperes inorder to insure absolutely syn chronous operation of the two appliances.Eesides as an excess of strength of the motor has been provided thevoltage at the terminals may undergo a small variation withoutinconvenience.

I would call special attention to the fact that the motor for thephonograph may be of any convenient kind, such as a spring, gravity,electric, or other motor, and that the sole condition which should befulfilled by the phonograph is that it shall be connected by parts ofconstant ratio, such as gear-wheels or tan: gcntial screws, with thebrush. The phonograph therefore retains all its means of regulation, andno perturbation can be communicated to it by the operation of thekinematograph.

1 illustrate, by way of example, in Fig. 2 an arrangement of the twoappliances as a v whole. Theirmutual positions may, however,

be varied according to requirements. A E is the motor previouslydescribed. A toothed clutch F enables the motor to rotate without Thisclutch is operated by means of the handle P. The toothed wheel (iwhi'chis loose upon the driving-spindle, is adapmd to be driven by the clutch.It gears with the wheel H, fixed upon a spindle of the kinematograph K.A flexible cable 0, connecting the motor A B to the fixed collector G,contains all the conductors conmeeting the various sections of thiscollector with those of the ring A of the motor. The brush-holders D Eare fixed upon the shaft of a sprocket-wheel N, which gears by a chainwith the wheel M,-forming part of the mechanism of' the phonograph L.This wheel M iparts a movement of rotation to the pinion N, andconsequently to the brushes D E. .0: indicates insulated metallic rings,respectively in contact with two brushes d e. They are connected to thesource of electricity J and conduct the current'to the brushes D E.

it may be stated that the motor Z of the phonograph L drives the latterand also the wheel M through a suitable train of gears, as in ordinaryclock mechanism. 9

The operation is as follows: 'A sfignal of any suitable kind, such asthe ringing of a beli" or the sounding of a whistle, is arranged to begiven some seconds before the commencement of the piece or the like tobe rendered by providing upon the cylinder an appropriate mark eitherbefore the record has been made or subsequent thereto, the piece beingrepeated in this latter case for that purpose. This having been done andthe apparatus being arranged as shown in Fig. 2, the phonograph isstarted. The kinematograph being thrown out of engagement, its motor A Bat first runs 'free, and at the exact moment at which the signal isgiven by the phonograph the kinematograph is thrown into gear by meansof the handle P, and the two appliances run with absolute synchronisinto the end of the piece.

lit is only necessary when the phonograph film or roller is beingrecorded to form the mark upon the same which produces the sig nal inorder that this engagement may be effected rat the precise moment whichwill cause the views shown to correspond with the sounds uttered.

In order to prevent any injury to the parts or stoppage of the motor A.B at the moment at which engagement is efiected, I interpose betweenthis motor and the clutch a spiral spring R, the torsional strength ofwhich is such that-in its position of repose it corre sponds to theminimum of the couple necessary to maintain the kinematograph running.At the inoment of engagement this spiral spring receiving the movementsuddenly will be wound up by several revolutions, and thus progressivelyincreasing the driving-couple transmitted to the hinematograph willstart this latter and enable it to attain its normai velocity. Thevariation thus introduced into the normal connection between motor andkinematographis but momentary, and when once the hinematograpfi isrunning the spring unwinds of itself. since its strength in thecondition of rest is slightly greater than the normal driving-couple ofthe kinematographand synchronism will be established. The time occupiedin effecting this is exceedingiy short assess and the variation soslight that it passes unring may rotate, the arrangement then-being asfollows:

Fig. 3 represents a Gaifie motor the collector of which has been removedand upon which has been arranged between the armature and the bearing asmany insulated rings as there are sections. Each of these sections isconnected to the corresponding ring and each wire of the cableproceeding from the fixed collector of the phonograph is connected witha brush resting upon this ring. The result is the same as in thearrangement first described and the principle also remains the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with aphonograph and its motor, of a kinematograph, an electric motor whichdrives the latter, a source of electricity, and meanscontrolled by themotor of the phonograph for distributing the current supplied to thefield-magnet of said electric motor in constant angular relation to thephonograph, whereby synchronous relations are maintained between themovements of the phonograph and kinematograph.

2. The combination with a kinematograph, an electric motor for drivingthe latter, aphonograph, a suitable motor for driving it, a collectorhaving its segments connected successively with the respective sectionsof the field- :nagnet of said electric motor, a generator which suppliesthe armature of said electric.

motor, and means whereby the phonographmotor drives the brushes of thecollector as specified, of a generator having its terminals coupledto'the brushes of said coliector.

3. The combination'with a kinematograph, an electric motor for drivingthe latter, a phonograph, a suitable motor for driving it, acollectorhaving its segments connected successively with the respective sectionsof the fieldmagnet of said electric motor, and a generator J having itsterminals coupled to the respective brushes of said collector, of meanswhere by the phonograph-motor controls the supply of current from saidgenerator J to the fieldmagnet of the electric motor operating thekinematograph, whereby the latter motor is compelled to runsynchronously with the motor of the phonograph, and means for uncouplingthe kinematograph from its motor. In witnesswhereof I have hereuntosigned my name, this 6th day of December, 1901, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LEON GAUMONT.

Witnesses:

JULES ARMENGAUD,JGI1I1G, MARCEL ARMENGAUD, Jeane.

